Knauf has launched Fassadol TSR, a facade paint which allows dark colours to be used on externally insulated walls, without the risk of overheating.
Conventional paint use can lead to problems, with darker surfaces retaining heat and reaching temperatures of 70o or more in sunny weather. These high temperatures can cause external wall insulation (EWI) to expand and contract, and potentially cause surface finish cracking.
This has presented a problem for designers who are looking to use stronger colours but have been constrained by available materials. “We have seen a significant increase in the demand for dark facade paint colours over the last few years,” says Steve Webber, Product Manager for Knauf Render Systems. “By developing this new breed of paint, we can offer architects and builders a much wider palate of colours to choose from.”
Knauf has used a sophisticated pigment technology to create Fassadol TSR (Total Solar Reflectance), a siloxane-reinforced pure acrylic facade paint with a satin-matt appearance. The paint is highly colour-fast and water-repellent, allows diffusion and dries stress-free.
In the past, paints with a luminosity of less than 20% have not been used on external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) Luminosity expresses a measure of a colour’s relative brightness to the human eye, with perfect black being 0% and perfect white 100%. However, it is the whole radiation spectrum and in particular infrared radiation which causes a material to heat up. TSR expresses the infrared radiation reflected from a surface, hence Fassadol TSR.
Now all Knauf’s paint colours which have less than 20% luminosity are available as Fassadol TSR. Colour shades on its ColorConcept selector card can be mixed within four days. Fassadol TSR can be applied with a brush, roller or spray and requires two coats. It has been formulated to control and inhibit the growth of algae and fungi.
